Russia says it is ready to remove excess nuclear materials from Iran
FILE PHOTO: Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Sergei Ryabkov attends the Iran and BRICS summit in Tehran, Iran, August 8, 2023. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia said on Wednesday it was ready to remove nuclear materials from Iran and convert them into fuel as a potential way to help narrow differences between the United States and Iran over the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme.
Tehran says it has the right to peaceful nuclear power, but its swiftly-advancing uranium enrichment programme has raised fears in the West and across the Gulf that it wants to build a nuclear weapon.
The fate of Iran's uranium enrichment is at the heart of the disagreement between Washington and Tehran: U.S. President Donald Trump says that Iran cannot be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, while Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Iran cannot abandon enrichment.
President Vladimir Putin told Trump in a phone call that he was ready to use Russia's close partnership with Iran to help with negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme, the Kremlin said last week.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who oversees arms control and U.S. relations, told Russian media on Wednesday that efforts to reach a solution should be redoubled and that Moscow was willing to help with ideas and in practical ways.
"We are ready to provide assistance to both Washington and Tehran, not only politically, not only in the form of ideas that could be of use in the negotiation process, but also practically: for example, through the export of excess nuclear material produced by Iran and its subsequent adaptation to the production of fuel for reactors," Ryabkov said.
The United States wants all of Iran's highly enriched uranium (HEU) to be shipped out of the country. Tehran says it should only send out any excess amount above a ceiling that was agreed in a 2015 deal.
Russia, the world's biggest nuclear power, does not want to see Iran acquire nuclear weapons, but believes it has every right to develop its own civilian nuclear programme and that any use of military force against it would be illegal and unacceptable.
Moscow has bought weapons from Iran for its war in Ukraine and signed a 20-year strategic partnership deal with Tehran earlier this year.
(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Guy FaulconbridgeEditing by Andrew Osborn)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Czech government faces no-confidence vote over bitcoin scandal
FILE PHOTO: Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala attends a meeting in Belgrade, Serbia, November 6, 2024. REUTERS/Zorana Jevtic/File Photo/File Photo PRAGUE (Reuters) -The main Czech opposition party on Thursday called a no-confidence vote in the government, accusing it of corruption over the acceptance of a payment to the state by an ex-convict worth $45 million in bitcoin. The vote, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, is likely to fail as the government has a majority in parliament - but it could still dent the ruling centre-right coalition's chances in an October 3-4 election in which it trails the opposition. Political veteran Pavel Blazek resigned as justice minister on May 31 for accepting the payment for the state, though he denied doing anything illegal. Opposition groups including the ANO party led by former prime minister Andrej Babis have called on Prime Minister Petr Fiala to quit and said the payment was evidence of corruption. "We have no choice," ANO vice-chair Alena Schillerova said on X after filing the no-confidence motion. The man who made the donation of 468 bitcoins to the state was in jail from 2017 until 2021 after being convicted of involvement in the drug trade, fraud and illegal possession of weapons. Blazek has faced criticism for possibly legitimising the ex-convict's assets, instead of turning to prosecutors or police to help secure them. Opinion polls show Babis's ANO party with a clear lead over the main group in the government coalition led by Fiala's ODS party. (Reporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Most G7 members ready to lower Russian oil price cap without US
FILE PHOTO: Russian flag with stock graph and an oil pump jack miniature model are seen in this illustration taken October 9, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo BRUSSELS/PARIS (Reuters) -Most countries in the Group of Seven nations are prepared to go it alone and lower the G7 price cap on Russian oil even if U.S. President Donald Trump decides to opt out, four sources familiar with the matter said. G7 country leaders are due to meet on June 15-17 in Canada where they will discuss the price cap first agreed in late 2022. The cap was designed to allow Russian oil to be sold to third countries using Western insurance services provided the price was no more than $60 a barrel. The European Union and Britain have been pushing to lower the price for weeks after a fall in global oil prices made the current $60 cap nearly irrelevant. The sources, who declined to be named, said the EU and Britain are ready to lead the charge and go it alone, backed by the other European G7 countries and Canada. They said it is still unclear what the U.S. will decide, though the Europeans are pushing for a united decision at the meeting. Japan's position also remains uncertain, they said. "There is a push among European countries to reduce the oil price cap to $45 from $60. There are positive signals from Canada, Britain and possibly the Japanese. We will use the G7 to try to get the U.S. on board," one of the sources said. The White House had no immediate comment. During the G7 finance ministers meeting in the Canadian Rockies last month, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent remained unconvinced there was a need to lower the cap, according to sources. However some U.S. Senators may endorse the idea, including Lindsay Graham, who in recent weeks told reporters he supports lowering the cap. Graham is pushing a hard-hitting new set of Russia sanctions that could impose steep tariffs on buyers of Russian oil. The EU has proposed lowering the price to $45 a barrel in its latest 18th package of sanctions. The package must have unanimity from member states in order for it to be adopted, which could take several weeks. Russia's largest export grade, Urals, trades at around a $10 a barrel discount to the Dated Brent benchmark out of Baltic ports. Brent futures have been trading below $70 a barrel since early April. Sources said Washington's buy-in was not essential to lower the cap owing to Britain's dominance in global shipping insurance, and the EU's influence on the Western rules-abiding tanker fleet. The U.S., however, does matter when it comes to dollar-denominated payments for oil and its banking system. The EU and its Western allies have been progressively cracking down on Russia's shadow fleet of tankers and related actors, which work to circumvent the cap. The pressure has started to hurt Moscow's revenues and Western allies hope this will push more of the oil trade back under the cap. Russia's state-owned oil producer Rosneft reported a 14.4% slump in profits last year. (Reporting by Julia Payne and John Irish; Additional reporting by Jarrett Renshaw in Washington; Editing by Jan Harvey)
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
European foreign ministers ready to toughen action against Russia
Germany's Minister of Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul, Poland's Minister of Foreign Affairs Radoslaw Sikorski, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte attend a joint press conference, on the day of a meeting to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine and security in Europe, at Villa Madama in Rome, Italy, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane ROME (Reuters) -Foreign ministers from large European countries said on Thursday they were ready to step up pressure on Russia, "including through further sanctions" involving the energy and banking sector, to weaken Moscow in its war with Ukraine. The meeting in Rome involved representatives from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Britain and the European Union. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and a Ukrainian representative also joined the talks. "We are determined to keep Russian sovereign assets in our jurisdictions immobilised until Russia ceases its aggression and pays for the damage it has caused," the countries said in a statement. (Reporting by Angelo Amante, editing by Gavin Jones)
